PERSONALITY OF THE WEEK.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 102, 2 May 1931, Page 8

PERSONALITY OF THE WEEK.

Mr. L. A. (Alfred) Eady, managing director of Messrs. Lewis Eady, Ltd., has his heart in music, and his hobby is the .piano, but he allows his affec- - NO. 195. tions to &tray to other activities as well and has /become highly popular in this his native town, in which he takes an absorbing interest. He's only thirty -eight years of age. He has travelled widely and, having a keen interest in traffic j matters, he has studied overseas systems and is something of an authority. Mr. Eady was for four years a city councillor and on the transport committee. He has teen a vicepresident of the Chamber of Commerce, is a Rotarian, and in many other ways has shown himself a highly worthy citizen. The dissemination of bogus (banknotes locally and elsewhere will remind many people of other examples of a fascinating industry, notably perhaps the disUNEASY MONEY, covery some few years ago of a magnificent plant for making banknotes in Australia. This industry was in the hands of exceptionally clever Russians, who come from a country where are the world's finest printers of negotiable paper. But it may remind New Zealanders of the gentleman who did not print bogus notes. He simplified his methods by blowing up a safe containing very many bundles of banknotes. The poor fellow found when he got them that they had been officially cancelled by having large round holes punched in all of them. Was he downhearted? No! He set to work with scissors and paste. Using some notes for patches, he carefully covered the holes in many others and successfully negotiated a large number. He ultimately seemed to tire ot this arduous way of making money, and, on crossing a river in a train, he consigned several bundles, together with a revolver and a perfectly good bag, to the deep. Only when the police had invited him to stay with them did he disclose the whereabouts of this buried treasure, whereat, of course, a diving party was arranged. An Australian, politician has mentioned (and it is cabled) that he has been subjected to a most diabolical intrigue of the "white-. anting'Vtype. In case the THE TERMITES, comparatively artless New Zealander should not understand this most expressive term, it may be explained that the white ant eats trees, and it is here sviggested that a political white ant might destroy a family tree. The wood-eating termite exceeds in undermining capacity even the most venomous politician and covers a hitherto pleasant terrain with the wrecks of the fallen. In suitable localities, particularly in Queensland, he strews the country with anthills filled with uncountable millions of his relatives. The scenery palls a little after one has driven past seven or eight million anthills, just as it might do after one has looked in on twelve or fourteen Australian Houses of Parliament. One thing the Australian political termite does not do. He does not eat pianos or dining tables or other furniture. Hi<3 termitical brother of the anthill does all these things, and it is common to set the legs of furniture in jars of water to prevent the onrush of white ants. One rarely fills jars with water for Australian politicians.